Pain

I don't know who first started it,

Who first set the wheel to spin,

Was it a serpent with venom to spit?

Or was it just Adam, the one who did sin?

Walking a mile in a stranger's shoes,

Sometimes feels like nails against my heels,

An excuse it is, for me to abuse,

Because too strongly your pain I can feel.

Perhaps its so long ago no one will know,

who first signed out destinies of painful attempts.

Who first made us hate, and ever it grows,

Filling us with vile, bitter contempt.

Only this I can know, and this I will say,

Shame to this man who set us on pain,

Woe to that evil and wretched day,

Able was slain by his dear brother Cain.

I wish I could heal you, painful Earth,

But your darkness is dense and full of distrust,

Your song is abysmal and lacking in mirth,

Your people are wicked and bent on their lust.

I love you, Gaia, mother of All,

But the monsters you bore are too much to bear,

The Cyclopes and Typhon although they can brawl,

Can't outcompete man, who really can't care.

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Hi everyone! This is a slightly sadder and more real-world poem than I usually write. But I had a sudden spark of inspiration to talk about the cycle of violence as seen by the Greeks and ancient Hebrews. The idea that we've been at war with one another ever since Cain struck Able permeates many mythic themes.

The Greeks believed this cycle was eternal unless the gods intervened. To them, this was one of the greatest threats to a civilized world. I've always felt that if I want the world to be a better place, I'd better start with myself :)